Happy Birthday
by AngelBaby214
Summary: For CS AU Week. Also on Tumblr as princessdancedreams. It's Emma's 18th birthday and someone from her past comes bearing a gift she would be dumb to refuse. Problem is, who is he? Lieutenant Duckling, also featuring Hook, barwench!Emma, and Prince Charles. I own nothing!


Happy Birthday

After living in Neverland, Captain Hook seemed to forget about his birthday. Since time stopped there, it didn't matter when his birthday was since he never got any older there. Every day was just like the last. When he eventually escaped Neverland on his quest to destroy the Dark One, following him through the portal back to the Enchanted Forest, Hook realized that many years had passed since he left for Neverland.

As it turns out, the Royal Princess, Emma, had come of age and the night of her eighteenth birthday celebration was approaching as of tomorrow. Hook had remembered Emma as a young child, one full of spark and life and wild imagination, and estimated he had been gone about ten years in this land's time. Of course, his encounters with Emma were strictly on business dealing with the Royal Navy, but after Liam's death, Killian Jones was no more; only Captain Hook remained.

_Ambushing him as he stared out into the distance at the sea calling his name, a pair of hands covered Killian's eyes, and by the smell of her perfume, he knew exactly who his visitor was. "Happy birthday, Lieutenant! I stole one of the pastries from the kitchen on my way out to the gardens. I'm so glad I found you out here!" An eight year-old Emma faced the Lieutenant, just peaking eighteen, and offered him the apple Danish in her small palm._

_ "Emma, my sweet girl, you didn't have to do this for me." Emma wrapped her arms around Killian and buried her face in his chest._

_ "Of course I did. Who else was going to wish you a happy birthday? I know it's your birthday today because mine is tomorrow. Isn't that funny? If only we shared a birthday, then that would make me the happiest girl alive!" Killian lifted Emma onto his lap and smiled at her running his fingers through her curls._

_ "Well, I am currently the happiest man alive now that you have graced me with your presence on my birthday. Don't you have important royal things to attend to instead of spending your day with little old me?" Emma rolled her eyes and situated herself further on his lap, tugging his ponytail for good measure. She laughed as he winced and held his hand to his head._

_ "Killian, I'm eight. The most important thing I have to worry about is grammar and how to properly greet guests, both of which I am fluently educated in. I think I can spend at least a little time with 'little old you.'" Killian moved her away from his lap and studied a bush around the bench, examining the flowers now freshly blooming._

_ "I love the month of May, do you know why?" Emma shook her head. "Well, I love the beautiful flowers that bloom after the April rains, but May is also the month that I am allowed to return to the castle and will not have any duties until the Summer Solstice, which is about a month away from today." Killian plucked a rose from the bush, scrutinizing each petal to make sure that none were misshapen. This was the most perfect rose he had ever seen, and this would be the one he gave to Emma. "For you, little princess. Should I miss your birthday celebration, which is highly improbable, this is my gift to you. The most perfect rose in all the realms, and now it is yours to have and hold." Emma smiled, her cheeks rosy with the blush that spread across them._

_ "Killian, do you love me?" She was genuine in her question but knew what kind of love she was insinuating. It's not that she didn't have a __**small**__ crush on him . . ._

_ "Emma, I love everything about you, however if you're asking me to be your boyfriend, I'm afraid I am far too old for you. Your parents would never stand for such an outlandish arrangement." Emma pouted and shrugged her shoulders, turning away from Killian in embarrassment._

_ "I'm sorry I asked. I'll just be going now. Thank you for everything, Killian." Just as Emma started to walk away, Killian called after her but she didn't bother turning around. Not until he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. He lifted Emma into an embrace, her legs wrapping around his back and her arms laced around his neck, and softly kissed her forehead._

_ "I'll see you soon, my little swan. And yes, I do love you. I'll see you soon, Princess." He set Emma down gently and offered her pristine rose back to her before he disappeared back into the gardens and Emma skipped into the castle. Love was a strange thing, but she embraced the way it made her feel, though she couldn't put that feeling into words. Killian loved her, and that's all that mattered._

The shops were abuzz with people attempting to find the most perfect outfit for Emma's birthday celebration. Ladies hoping to acquire a dress of the most fashionable satin or taffeta, gentlemen in perfectly pressed tuxedos, and mothers frantically searching for outfits for their reluctant children. Oh, the joys of attending royal functions!

"Excuse me, sir," a young woman panted as she approached Hook, "Could you possibly direct me to the nearest mask shop?" Long blonde hair peeked out of her cloak and highlighted her fair complexion. Her eyes were shining emeralds in the daylight as the sun hit them, and she truly was a beauty.

"Do I look like a tour guide to you?" The woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, completely ignoring Hook's snarky remark.

"I have to have a mask for the princess's masquerade celebration tomorrow, and I've been searching everywhere for one." Hook stopped listening when he heard "masquerade." Oh, how perfect.

"Masquerade, you said?"

"Yes. Now, stop playing deaf, and please help me. I have less than a day to get one, and the shops here close at dusk. I hope you can be at least a little helpful." Hook took the young woman by the arm, escorting her down the street.

"Lucky for you, I'm from here, and I know this place all too well. Continue down this street until you hit the crossroads. When you do, turn right and it's just past the bakery on the right side of the road. I can escort you there if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary." The woman tried to pull away, not forcefully, but Hook lightly held her elbow.

"I insist, milady. Gentleman's honor." The woman's eyes widened as Killian moved her into full escort position.

"Wow, those still exist these days? Unbelievable. You should see the pigs I have to deal with every day." _Damn it. I just gave away personal information. Uh oh, cover story, here we come._

"Well, what is it you do?" The woman racked her brain to think of some occupation and looked to the street signs for answers. The closest one: Bucky's Tavern. Well, it's better than nothing.

"Umm . . . I work at a tavern." Hook turned to the woman in disbelief.

"Really, lass? A woman as beautiful as yourself has to hold some more profitable occupation than being a barmaid." Emma cleared her throat. There was the bakery. Perfect.

"Well, that's my second job. In the day, I work at a bakery that my . . . aunt, Carlotta owns. I'm not from here, so it's been a little rough finding my way around. Thank you for the escort, sir." Hook kissed her hand and led her into the shop. Before he left, he called out to her.

"Did I earn the pleasure of knowing your name?" The woman turned around and called back to him.

"Meet me on the balcony of the castle at eleven tomorrow night, and maybe I'll tell you." The woman winked at the man and entered the shop as Killian left her, completely stunned by this woman. _That was close. Nice quick thinking, Emma._

Later that night, Hook decided to enter Bucky's Tavern for a nice drink on his birthday, or at least that's when Emma had told him it was a long time ago. Oh, Emma. He couldn't wait to surprise her at the masquerade tomorrow night. Though Mr. Smee attempted to lighten his mood, Hook sat completely absorbed in his rum, only his second drink. He planned to have many more in the meanwhile, his loneliness taking over him. Polishing off his glass, he handed it to Mr. Smee.

"Mr. Smee, another round, please." As his first mate left the table, Hook spotted a somewhat familiar face with those green eyes again. The bar wench winked at him and gave him a saucy smirk. Hook winked back and sauntered up to the counter, grabbing his drink from Mr. Smee's hand. Mr. Smee just scurried back to table, beer in hand, grateful that the Captain had snapped out of his self-pity phase.

"Well, well, lass. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Neither did I. Don't you have duties with your crew to attend to?" Hook cocked an eyebrow at the barmaid.

"How did you know that I—"

"Lucky guess, but the attire gives it away. Let me guess, you're some swashbuckling pirate now who's sailed the Seven Seas in search of plundering treasures and women, am I right?" Hook tapped his fingers against his glass.

"Very close, lass."

"And you have a hook for a hand. Boating accident? Duel to the death with Blackbeard or something?"

"More like a crocodile." Emma snickered at that and turned away from the Captain to hide her smile. "What, is there something funny about a man losing his hand?" The maid composed herself and leaned over the counter, her full breasts now completely apparent over her corset.

"No, it's just, a crocodile, really? What, are you Captain Hook or something?" Hook leaned into the maid, his breath inches away from hers.

"So, you've heard of me?" The maid was entranced in his ocean blue stare but pulled away when he didn't start laughing or smiling.

"Wait a second, you were serious?" Hook reclined slightly on the stool, his elbows still on the counter.

"Why do I have any reason to lie about who I am? Is there something I should know about you, lass?" Her eyes shifted slightly, but she shook her head as naturally as possibly.

"Nope, it's just little old me."

"Just little old you?" Hook inched closer to her and could feel her anxiousness as he approached her. "Does 'little old you' have a name? I've been dying to know." No name badge to give her away, thank the Gods. The woman thought her alias over long and hard and leaned into the Captain.

"You can call me Swan, sir. I will tell you my first name if you meet me where and when I asked."

"But that's too long a wait, love. What is keeping me from knowing your real name?" Emma rounded the bar and handed Hook the rest of the bottle of rum he was currently drinking.

"Where's the fun in that? It's always nice to keep a certain ounce of mystery in relationships. Enjoy your drink, Captain. Oh, and one more thing." The woman leaned in close to Hook's ear and covered his eyes. Softly biting his earlobe, she left him with a saucy whisper. "Happy birthday, Captain." She winked and disappeared into the back, leaving Hook dumbfounded on the barstool. He was screwed and he knew it too.

In his long black coat paired with his signature leather pants and black dress shirt with a red vest, Hook felt fit for a king. His black mask only covered half of his face but revealed what he liked to think was his "better side." There was that air of mystery, as his enthralling barmaid would have said. Life worked in strange ways, as far as he could assume, and hoped that tonight he could solve the enigma of this woman who haunted his dreams and visions. Hook had indulged himself in pleasure, imagining what the woman's sensual whisper would sound like in the throes of passion. Hmm . . .

The ballroom was much too crowded, despite it being the largest room in the castle. Based on the guest book, Hook had assumed about one thousand people were in attendance through the night. These things really were a big deal, as he soon discovered, and he had no clue if his mysterious woman would even show tonight. Only one way to find out, he supposed. Hook approached Emma after the orchestra concluded a partner dance for the quick and coordinated, both of those Hook actually was. There she was, a beauty in white, her fair skin and blonde hair that much more stunning in her beautiful gown.

"Princess." Emma turned around sharply to find a man dressed in black with a hint of red. A dark prince, maybe? "Would you happen to have a spare slot on your dance card, one that I might be able to fill?" Emma pondered the thought.

"Well, my next partner doesn't appear to show himself, so I guess I could grant you your wish." Prince Neal of the neighboring kingdom was meant to dance with Emma next and was expected to marry her in the coming year. They hand nothing in common, not to mention their ideals were nothing even remotely similar. Well, what was one dance going to kill her? "But I cannot accept your offer until I know your name, sir." _Think, Hook, think._ Something generic . . .

"Prince . . . Charles, at your service, my princess." Emma's eyes shifted to her parents at the throne chatting with the neighboring king and queen.

"Hmm . . . you don't look like a Charles, but I guess I'll buy it for now." Hook led Emma to the dance floor, and the orchestra fired up a romantic but mysterious waltz, "The Second Waltz" by Shostakovich.

"How romantic. I love this piece." Hook positioned Emma in a waltz, his false hand at the small of her back and his working hand grasping hers, the pair of them twirling around tentatively at first. Emma actually surprised herself with her ability to catch on to these dances, her grace finally proving itself.

The first theme of the music was spent in the partners introducing themselves, waltzing in half time, circling each other and examining their partner. Hook took his bow and Emma a curtsey, and the dance had begun, the story of them set in motion. Emma and Hook moved as one across the floor, their feet barely touching the cool tile below them.

"You're actually quite good at this, _Charles_."

"And yourself, _Emma_. Is that a swan in the shape of your mask?"

"It is. It's a symbol of my transformation from a girl to a young woman, just like the ugly duckling transformed into a swan, so did I." Hook nodded in awe. Oh, he was certainly having the time of his life, and Emma had no clue who he really was.

"Very well read, _Swan_." Emma smirked as the music began to build. The mysterious music changed into a more celebratory mood Emma's graceful feet lifted her from the floor in a series of arabesques and small jetés. Hook was impressed with her ability to move, and he followed her with a waltz turn. The other couples turned their attention to the princess and her masked suitor waltz effortlessly with each other. They had never seen this man before; who was he and why was he dancing with the princess?

With his hands around Emma's waist, he lifted her off of the ground unexpectedly at first, but she seemed to love the sensation of being swept off her feet. The smile on her face proved that true, and he loved the way she smiled, all pearly white teeth and shimmering luscious pink lips. After lifting her into a beautiful split, he swept her into his arms and spun her around until the music took another change back into the mysterious theme from before.

As he set Emma down, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and waltzed in half-time away from her masked man. He couldn't let her get away. While her back was turned to him, he snuck up behind her and wrapped one hand around her waist and the other held on to her extended arm and slowly swayed from side to side with her. She smiled at his presence against her back and welcomed his touch and how it lit her on fire. In the bell-like twinkling section of the music, Emma circled Killian with small flick kicks on each downbeat, and Killian pulled her in close to his body and positioning her for a grand waltz.

"So, princess, think you can handle me?"

"Perhaps _you're _the one who can't handle me." Hook made a primal noise low in his throat, and the orchestra made a grand crescendo into the next section. Emma and Hook waltzed around the floor effortlessly, turning and gliding like swans across a lake. The music came to a close, and Hook dipped Emma, supporting her back as she finally stared into his eyes, blue like the sea that once called her Lieutenant. _Killian?_ No way could that have been him.

The crowd roared in thunderous applause as Hook picked Emma back up and gave her a bow. She returned a curtsey as he winked and walked away with a swish of his coat. Emma was left stunned at the masked suitor, "Charles." Right. Emma heard the chiming of the clock from the center of town. Eleven times. Oh, she had to go.

She rushed up the staircase and hoped her escort from the other day would be waiting for her. Outside stood a man, tall and lean, reclining against the railing and staring off into the night. There he was. Emma almost disregarded a gift for her under her feet. A small box lay there with a rose atop it. She stared at the rose for a long moment. Certainly this was the most beautiful rose she had ever seen, every petal a flawless crimson and the stem bear no thorns. Emma bent down to open her package, uncovering the box slowly, and her eyes met a scrumptious apple Danish wrapped in baking paper. She gasped and a tear ran down her face.

"Killian?" Someone covered her eyes, and Emma sharply took in a breath.

"Happy birthday, Princess," the gentle, lilting voice whispered in her ear. That voice could only belong to one person. Emma turned around and saw the man with the mask standing before her.

"Charles? That was you from the other day? I thought that you were—" The man removed his mask to reveal her blue-eyed love, Killian. "Killian?!"

"Aye. It's been me all along, little swan. I can't believe you didn't catch it earlier." Emma cried as she embraced him and held him close to her, cradling her face into his chest.

"Neither did I. How I've missed you, Killian. You look so different now."

"After I left ten years ago, my brother died. Liam was sent on a death mission by our Naval Captain, and I couldn't let him die in vain. So, I became a pirate, sailed the Seven Seas without a care in the world. I told you how I lost my hand, but I didn't tell you that the Dark One was the crocodile I spoke of. He gave me a hook for a hand, hence the name Captain Hook. I have yet to avenge him for what he did to me and how he killed Milah. She was my first mate, and I loved her so. But I've always loved you, Emma. I've always thought of you. When I came back and heard of your celebration, I knew it was the perfect time to meet you again. Of course, both of us had to put on personas in order for that to happen.

"Emma, there hasn't been a day where I don't regret leaving you. I wish I could have seen you blossom, my little duckling, into the beautiful swan that you are today. I love you so, Emma, and I would like to ask you if you would do this captain the honor of being my wife, my first mate, and the love of my life?" Emma's tears flowed freely down her cheeks as Killian got down on one knee and presented her with a ring, his mother's ring, as she recognized from his tales of his family. She nodded and embraced him.

"Yes, Killian. Yes, Killian, I'll marry you." Slowly, Killian moved his lips towards Emma and granted her the pleasure of her first kiss. And it was everything she imagined it would be.

Days later, Killian asked for Snow and Charming's blessing, granted with full excitement and good will. Much to Neal and his father's dismay, they would not inherit the Charming's kingdom and wealth. But Killian and Emma were much happier anyway. After their wedding, a beautiful and festive summer celebration, Emma and Killian inherited the throne, and celebrated many more birthdays together as a family. And they all lived happily ever after.


End file.
